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PCSing to Fort Irwin in 2 weeks. What should I expect?
I’ve been to NTC but I’m trying to not let that give me a bad attitude about being stationed there, as I’m sure it’ll be different. Anyone have any advice or recommendations?
I’ve been to NTC but I’m trying to not let that give me a bad attitude about being stationed there, as I’m sure it’ll be different. Anyone have any advice or recommendations?
PCS
Ft Irwin, CA
35F-Enlisted: Intelligence Analyst
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 3
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Prepare youself to feel isolated. You are almost an hour away from the nearest town, Barstow, and there isn't much there. Base activities are geared towards trying to alleviate some of that isolated feeling, but it won't completely eliminate the feeling of being "stuck". Just saying...
It is more difficult if you are single and don't have a family to go home to after work.
Keep a positive attitude, and use your time there to advance your career with online education, skills development, and similar activities that will benefit you in future assignments and promotion opportunities. It's not ALL bad...just isolated.
It is more difficult if you are single and don't have a family to go home to after work.
Keep a positive attitude, and use your time there to advance your career with online education, skills development, and similar activities that will benefit you in future assignments and promotion opportunities. It's not ALL bad...just isolated.
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SSG Joshua Minchew
Thank you for the info Chief. The wife and I are doing a lot of research and that seems to be the general consensus. The isolation
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CW2 Frank Trinkle
Quick story...
We used to go to Irwin regularly when I was flying Cobras to support both Active Duty and Reserve exercises...as OPFOR. One time, we were involved in an exercise specifically for testing aviation desert endurance by CDECC, one of the Army Research groups. The idea was to have us in the desert for 45 days without any support except water buffalo's and air-dropped supplies and food.
We couldn't take showers due to the limited water, and certainly couldn't wash our flight suits or for the matter, even our underwear. Didn't rain once in 45 days.
On day 31 when we were all REALLY ripe, I was flying a sortie with my co-pilot and the aircraft experienced a hydraulic failure. In order to make the necessary running landing, I had to fly to Barstow, which was closer than the Irwin airfield. On landing we went into a hangar to call for maintenance, and my copilot suddenly grabbed my shoulder with this shit-eating grin on his face, and pointed to a door that said "Showers"! In we went, first with flight suits on and then in our birthday suits! LUXURY!
Long story short, maint replaced a hydraulic hose, and we went back to our camp on Irwing and totally pissed off everyone because they could smell our freshly soaped and clean bodies from afar! The next morning, the CO called a formation and made it abundantly clear that if anyone flying "suddenly" had an "emergency" in the aircraft requiring a diversion to Barstow, that he would personally investigate and bring the fires of hell upon anyone who didn't have an absolutely critical need to divert. He was pissed! No one else went to Barstow that FTX!
We used to go to Irwin regularly when I was flying Cobras to support both Active Duty and Reserve exercises...as OPFOR. One time, we were involved in an exercise specifically for testing aviation desert endurance by CDECC, one of the Army Research groups. The idea was to have us in the desert for 45 days without any support except water buffalo's and air-dropped supplies and food.
We couldn't take showers due to the limited water, and certainly couldn't wash our flight suits or for the matter, even our underwear. Didn't rain once in 45 days.
On day 31 when we were all REALLY ripe, I was flying a sortie with my co-pilot and the aircraft experienced a hydraulic failure. In order to make the necessary running landing, I had to fly to Barstow, which was closer than the Irwin airfield. On landing we went into a hangar to call for maintenance, and my copilot suddenly grabbed my shoulder with this shit-eating grin on his face, and pointed to a door that said "Showers"! In we went, first with flight suits on and then in our birthday suits! LUXURY!
Long story short, maint replaced a hydraulic hose, and we went back to our camp on Irwing and totally pissed off everyone because they could smell our freshly soaped and clean bodies from afar! The next morning, the CO called a formation and made it abundantly clear that if anyone flying "suddenly" had an "emergency" in the aircraft requiring a diversion to Barstow, that he would personally investigate and bring the fires of hell upon anyone who didn't have an absolutely critical need to divert. He was pissed! No one else went to Barstow that FTX!
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I was stationed there from 2014-2017. If you go to 1/11 or 2/11 ACR expect to go out on rotation every month. It can get pretty busy there. Closest town is Barstow at about 40 miles away from Irwin and there’s nothing really there. 11th ACR used to do a 3-day followed by a 4-day weekend after each rotation so when you get time off, go out and explore around. Vegas is about 2 and a half hour drive, LA is about 3 to 3 and a half hours and San Diego is roughly about a 4 hour drive. The beaches are around 4 hour drive as well. If you’re playing OPFOR just have fun with it and learn the things what not to do on future assignments. I’m not a 35F or served time in an S2 while playing OPFOR, but I can imagine you’ll be very busy. It gets pretty repetitive after about a year or so, but the schedule there is pretty set in stone so you know when training events are coming up. When I was there I low key actually liked the unit I was in and enjoyed playing OPFOR. I hated the surrounding area and that everything was a 3 hour drive to really go out and see California.
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SSG (Join to see)
The only guys I knew there were some of the pilots. You wouldn’t be going on rotations out there most likely. Fort Irwin can get a little depressing due to its location. I wish I could tell you from personal experience how 2916th is. From what I’ve always heard, it’s pretty chill there.
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SSG Joshua Minchew If you expect it to be a horrible place it will be... if you expect it to be an opportunity to make it a great life experience... it will be. Good Luck!
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SSG Joshua Minchew
That’s how I’m approaching it. People told me how awful Korea and Fort Hood were and I had a great time in both of those places
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SGT (Join to see)
SSG Joshua Minchew - Good for you... everyone experiences life differently. You seem to have a positive attitude that will have a great impact on your life... even the hard times you can learn from them.
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